- English Dept.
1020 N. 2nd St.
Atchison KS 66002 - 913-367-5340
Stephen Mirarchi
Benedictine College, English, Faculty Member
This essay examines how scholars have interpreted Poe's Lyceum appearance and proposes that Poe's objections were at least partly based on philosophical principles, a view that Simms shared. Further, this essay looks for the first time at... more
This essay examines how scholars have interpreted Poe's Lyceum appearance and proposes that Poe's objections were at least partly based on philosophical principles, a view that Simms shared. Further, this essay looks for the first time at how Simms approached several aspects of Roman Catholicism and argues for his sympathetic, intellectual response.
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Recent scholarly attempts to place Edgar Allan Poe in the nineteenth-century American mainstream have resulted in a renewed discussion of the religious in his works. While a recent article depicts Poe's aesthetics as moderately Anglican,... more
Recent scholarly attempts to place Edgar Allan Poe in the nineteenth-century American mainstream have resulted in a renewed discussion of the religious in his works. While a recent article depicts Poe's aesthetics as moderately Anglican, this study shows how Poe used Catholic eschatology, the study of the four last things; Mariology, teachings on the Virgin Mary; and liturgy, the rite of the Roman Catholic Mass and its extended prayers, in precise ways. While “Morella” and “The Raven” exhibit Poe's reliance on Catholic elements to show the horror of inverting them, “Hymn” expresses the speaker's hope that anyone could be brought by Mary to God. These conspicuous elements confirm Poe's interest in Catholicism and call for a fresh valuation of Catholic aesthetics in his works.
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One of America’s foremost poet-critics, Robert Pinsky has written two relatively unexamined poems about Jesus: “Icicles” and “From the Childhood of Jesus.” These works present three distinct senses of the paradox of the powerlessness of... more
One of America’s foremost poet-critics, Robert Pinsky has written two relatively unexamined poems about Jesus: “Icicles” and “From the Childhood of Jesus.” These works present three distinct senses of the paradox of the powerlessness of the Nativity through the unruly and destructive actions of an unnamed youth and the child Jesus, respectively. I compare the second poem in detail to the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas to show Pinsky’s transformation of it. In rejecting both a reductionistic God and a boy Jesus who imposes divine will violently, the two poems point via negativa to the paradox of powerlessness affirmed by historical Christianity.
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Between the published versions of one of Carver's most famous stories, the author made significant revisions that emphasize obedience and authority as conditions of faith.
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I edited this variorum edition of Carver's story, which delineates over two hundred differences between the Atlantic Monthly 1981 edition and the Vintage 1984 edition.
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In her Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Wild Iris, Louise Glück allows her speaker to work through various problems of unbelief in order to arrive at a position of mature faith: one who continuously seeks understanding. That Glück, for the... more
In her Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Wild Iris, Louise Glück allows her speaker to work through various problems of unbelief in order to arrive at a position of mature faith: one who continuously seeks understanding. That Glück, for the record a non-believer, intuits this deep understanding of faith speaks to the book’s prominent but as yet unrecognized place in the literature of natural theology.
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I contributed this essay to Ignatius's Critical Edition of the novel. While I acknowledge that Crane's self-described "pot-boiler" revels in irony and satire, I argue that grace endures, even to the author's surprise. Crane, who had... more
I contributed this essay to Ignatius's Critical Edition of the novel. While I acknowledge that Crane's self-described "pot-boiler" revels in irony and satire, I argue that grace endures, even to the author's surprise. Crane, who had significant training in Christianity and even attended seminary for while, shows a keen awareness of spiritual warfare and uses Bible verses liberally throughout the novel.
Research Interests: Catholic Theology, American Realism and Naturalism, Religion and Literature, 19th-Century American Literature, Literature of the American Civil War, and 7 moreLiterature and Religion, War and Literature, Stephen Crane, American Christianity, Literature and the Bible, Spiritual Warfare, and Red Badge of Courage
In the major scenes of spiritual warfare in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien shows an understanding of the material infused with the spiritual guided to respond to the multi-dimensional axes of personal intellects and wills. Yet Tolkien... more
In the major scenes of spiritual warfare in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien shows an understanding of the material infused with the spiritual guided to respond to the multi-dimensional axes of personal intellects and wills. Yet Tolkien always allows room for uncertainty; he leaves the act of assent to his readers.
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In his eight-book _Odd Thomas_ series, Koontz avoids a too-explicit "parable tale" style of Catholic narration, just as he avoids the contemporary trend to present religion obscurely. I argue that he presents Catholic teaching in the... more
In his eight-book _Odd Thomas_ series, Koontz avoids a too-explicit "parable tale" style of Catholic narration, just as he avoids the contemporary trend to present religion obscurely. I argue that he presents Catholic teaching in the series "hidden in plain view."
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Gordon Lish's existential editing of Carver's "The Bath" stands in stark contrast to the redemptive collected story "A Small, Good Thing." I examine the virtues Carver emphasizes through his revisions, arguing that humility and obedience... more
Gordon Lish's existential editing of Carver's "The Bath" stands in stark contrast to the redemptive collected story "A Small, Good Thing." I examine the virtues Carver emphasizes through his revisions, arguing that humility and obedience are prerequisites for communion.
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This short article looks at the challenges facing social media when it began to pick up steam in the late 2000s. I argue that a recovery of the new humanity espoused by John Paul II is an effective means of beginning to address these... more
This short article looks at the challenges facing social media when it began to pick up steam in the late 2000s. I argue that a recovery of the new humanity espoused by John Paul II is an effective means of beginning to address these challenges. The article draws on several Vatican II documents to make its case. NB: the journal mistakenly attributed co-authorship to Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, who merely submitted it; he will happily verify that I was the sole author.
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This edition is the first scholarly treatment of Connolly's 1950 novel of the humor of trying to live the Gospel seriously. I wrote a 4,000-word introduction and about 20 pages of notes, with references for those who wish to research... more
This edition is the first scholarly treatment of Connolly's 1950 novel of the humor of trying to live the Gospel seriously. I wrote a 4,000-word introduction and about 20 pages of notes, with references for those who wish to research further.
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The first reissue in 50 years, and the first to feature annotations and a scholarly introduction, this edition of _Dan England and the Noonday Devil_ shows why author Myles Connolly, who wrote the bestselling _Mr. Blue_, considered _Dan... more
The first reissue in 50 years, and the first to feature annotations and a scholarly introduction, this edition of _Dan England and the Noonday Devil_ shows why author Myles Connolly, who wrote the bestselling _Mr. Blue_, considered _Dan England_ his best work. The many allusions to Chesterton and Aquinas--as well as the historical events, theological concepts, and inter-textual allusions referenced in the text--are explained in the notes.
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This is the first annotated edition of the best-selling novel Mr. Blue, first published by Myles Connolly in 1928. It features a new introduction that places the book in critical context and explains its literary structure, and the 200+... more
This is the first annotated edition of the best-selling novel Mr. Blue, first published by Myles Connolly in 1928. It features a new introduction that places the book in critical context and explains its literary structure, and the 200+ annotations explain the historical, theological, regional, and Scriptural allusions in the text. Connolly himself saw his novel, at least in part, as a G. K. Chesterton-inspired response to Fitzgerald's Gatsby.
Research Interests: 20th Century American Literature, G.K. Chesterton, GK Chesterton, Frank Capra, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and 8 moreLiterature in the 1920s and 1930s, Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby, G K Chesterton, American Culture in the 1920s and 1930s, The Great Gatsby, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Myles Connolly, and Mr. Blue
This reprint of Francois Mauriac's novel Vipers' Tangle includes a new introduction and annotations by Timothy P. O'Malley of Notre Dame, and a new preface by Stephen Mirarchi of Benedictine College.
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In the third novel of the popular Jane Hawk series, Dean Koontz has taken up more explicitly the role of the artist-evangelist.
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More than an encomium, Philip Kolin's new book of poetry _Benedict's Daughter_ pays tribute to the rich Benedictine tradition of prayer and work. Kolin's deft poetical technique and illuminating insights provide an all too rare... more
More than an encomium, Philip Kolin's new book of poetry _Benedict's Daughter_ pays tribute to the rich Benedictine tradition of prayer and work. Kolin's deft poetical technique and illuminating insights provide an all too rare combination of intellectual art and devotion.
Research Interests: Roman Catholicism, Contemporary American Poetry, Catholic LIterature, Benedictine Spirituality, Benedictines, and 9 moreBenedictine Monasticism, Roman Catholicism in literature and film, Religious Poetry, Catholicism and American Literature, Community Life and the Rule of St. Benedict, Rumer Godden, Benedictine Studies, St. Benedict, and Philip C. Kolin
Raymond Arroyo's latest adventure novel for the middle-grade set is a winner: he has the literary skill of a suspense writer and satirical wit to match.
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David Craig and Kathleen Hart are two contemporary poets who embody the revival of Walker Percy's injunction to "love in the ruins."
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This collection of nominally Catholic-influenced poetry suffers from a glorification of the abject.
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Philip Kolin's Pilsen Snow tells of a time and people worthy of remembrance and celebration, while Lisa Salinas's Smallest Leaf shows an impressive command of form, even if the content is not yet at literary maturity.
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Carl Sommer's _We Look for a Kingdom_ is an enlightening and exhaustive study of how Christians before the year 313 confronted and prevailed over dire questions of doctrine and evil in their midst.
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A weighty subject indeed, this book on the Magisterium is both approachable enough for inquisitive believers and footnoted enough for those who keep a Catechism by the bedside.
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From my review: "Much of the marketing for this book claims that Scott Hahn demonstrates Pope Benedict XVI’s unprecedented reliance on Scripture. That’s an accurate evaluation, but Hahn accomplishes far more. He cues everything from papal... more
From my review: "Much of the marketing for this book claims that Scott Hahn demonstrates Pope Benedict XVI’s unprecedented reliance on Scripture. That’s an accurate evaluation, but Hahn accomplishes far more. He cues everything from papal addresses to dogmatic constitutions into an aria of catholic unity, demonstrating Benedict’s awe-inspiring
command of liturgy, prayer, philosophy, sacraments, salvation history and even cosmology."
command of liturgy, prayer, philosophy, sacraments, salvation history and even cosmology."
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A thorough approach to the basics of Christology in compact form, Gresham's _Jesus 101_ includes apologetics, exegesis, and a rich command of Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium in helping readers understand contemporary... more
A thorough approach to the basics of Christology in compact form, Gresham's _Jesus 101_ includes apologetics, exegesis, and a rich command of Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium in helping readers understand contemporary Christological questions and their answers.
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Michael Novak's book _No One Sees God_ is a welcome response to the New Atheism, as Novak engages in natural theology to find what is good and what is misleading in Hitchens' and others works.
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A brief review of the sequel to one of the most famous running books, Parker's _Once a Runner_.
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Doran's second novel showcases the author's considerable skills in regionalistic character-building and "ratiocination" style suspense. However, the novel's ostensible hero--the protagonist's father--has serious enough flaws that it's... more
Doran's second novel showcases the author's considerable skills in regionalistic character-building and "ratiocination" style suspense. However, the novel's ostensible hero--the protagonist's father--has serious enough flaws that it's difficult to take the book's near-heroic estimation of him seriously.
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Doran's first novel enthralls with its depiction of 20th century philosophies through a fantasy / detective hybrid. However, the audience of the book remains unclear, which creates several flaws in both the narrative structure and the... more
Doran's first novel enthralls with its depiction of 20th century philosophies through a fantasy / detective hybrid. However, the audience of the book remains unclear, which creates several flaws in both the narrative structure and the underlying theology.
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This brief interview with Bret Easton Ellis was published just before the film version of _American Psycho_ was released.
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In this brief article I identify an undercurrent of spiritual warfare in Cormac McCarthy's novel _The Road_, one consonant with Ignatius of Loyola's description of consolation and desolation.
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In this brief essay I counter the popular notions of the Antichrist often used for fear-mongering by showing how C. S. Lewis describes that false Messiah in the _Narnia Chronicles_, specifically in the first chapter of _The Last Battle_.
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This essay on Cormac McCarthy ran in the Boston Sunday Globe upon the release of the film version of All the Pretty Horses (2001). I compare the grandeur of McCarthy's literary-spiritual vision to the film's and find the latter seriously... more
This essay on Cormac McCarthy ran in the Boston Sunday Globe upon the release of the film version of All the Pretty Horses (2001). I compare the grandeur of McCarthy's literary-spiritual vision to the film's and find the latter seriously wanting.
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I discuss the controversial ending of the 2015 Kansas City Lyric Opera production of Mozart’s masterpiece in light of the opera’s spiritual and aesthetic dimensions.
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Stephen Mirarchi's presentation at the 2017 Symposium on Advancing the New Evangelization at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, April 1, 2017. The presentation covers the New Catholic Literary Revival, 2012 to present.
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This blog post looks at several poets the popes have highly recommended over the years, particularly poets not very well known outside their respective countries.
Research Interests: Camões, Catholic LIterature, Shota Rustaveli, Courtly Literature, Paul Claudel, Roman Catholicism in literature and film, and 10 moreWorld Poetry, Adam Mickiewicz, Giovanni Pascoli, Luis Vaz de Camões, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Popes, Leopolde Sedar Senghor, Taras Shevchenko, and Luiz Vaz de Camoes
These six novels have been recommended by the Popes of the Catholic Church for their outstanding literary merits and their ability to prompt readers to ponder the relationship between art and faith.